By Evan Ackerman

I cannot tolerate flaky wireless internet. Without 100% connectivity, I wouldn’t be able to bring you the (ahem) reliably high quality gadget news that I do here at OhGizmo. I have a Linksys WiFi PCMCIA card in my laptop, and it strains to pick up signals from a router 30 feet away through a wall… I’ve been looking into some kind of antenna to boost the signal, and this USB dish antenna from Hawking sure looks like it would fit the bill. The 8dBi directional dish antenna (most wireless antennas are omnidirectional at about 2dBi) is supposed to boost reception by up to 300%, as long as you’re pointing it in the right direction… The built-in LED signal strength indicator should help you with that. I’m not sure what you’re supposed to do if the router you use is down below you somewhere, but with a USB interface and for only about $60, it gives other high quality external wireless solutions some competition when it comes to price and performance, if not size.

[ Hawking HWU8DD ] VIA [ GadgetGrid ]

Hardware, USB, Wireless